Finite server memory capacity may require an operator to increase system capabilities which are designed to most efficiently use the capacity. Server memory may reach storage capacity limits with ever increasing file/application size. A method providing access to previously inaccessible memory may enable a user to more efficiently manage storage assets.
Cloud computing, which may utilize clustering for redundancy, is on the rise. Clustering as used herein may be defined as grouping objects into clusters so same-cluster objects maintain similarity absent outside the cluster.
Traditionally, one of the following configurations for storage sharing may have comprised:    1. each node may connect to a common Storage Area Network (SAN) fabric, which may provide a low latency block interface to storage;    2. each node may connect to an Ethernet network, utilizing file access to shared storage;    3. external collection of drives, in practice sometimes referred to as just a bunch of drives (JBOD)s;    4. direct attached drives (internal).
Each of the above methods may cause considerable increase in cost or decrease in speed. The SAN fabric method and the Ethernet method may require an additional external Fiber or Ethernet switch. The external switch may connect all the nodes to common storage forming a type of cluster.
Precariously, this additional external switch may become a single point of failure. Therefore, a redundant component may be required to ensure a desired level of availability while also, unfortunately, increasing cost.
The SAN fabric method, the Ethernet method, and the JBOD method may require storage housed in costly external enclosures. These enclosures may increase power usage, space required, and necessary maintenance. Simply, storage requirements (redundancy and common access) for a high level of availability in clustering, present problematic increased costs and increased user complexity.
Physical limitations also pose challenges to certain types of traditional clustering schemes. External JBODs may present a compromise between redundancy and cost. Although utilizing a SAS (Serially Attached SCSI) expander within each node may provide connectivity to internal drives and other nodes, this compromise may also limit the number of nodes in a cluster to the number of connectors on the JBOD. This limitation may prove too constrictive and thus, unacceptable.
Additional financial disadvantages of the external JBOD model may include the cost of: (1) powering external units, (2) a unit cost of external enclosures, (3) extra connections, and (4) extra physical space required. The disadvantage of adding an independent SAS expander board or external unit to each node may be a primary additional cost of the space used inside the chassis.
A traditional Direct attached drive option may have traditionally proven to be the most economical. However, one drawback of this option may include a lack of provision for high availability clustering since there is no ability for shared storage.
Therefore, it would be advantageous if a method and system existed providing a capability for servers to belong to a cluster of nodes (or servers), sharing storage in common, without the need of an external element such as a switch and or external storage.